Aloo Gajar Mutter

Take peas out of the freezer and set out to thaw while you get everything else done.

Set a heavy-bottomed skillet or nonstick pan on medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and heat until shimmering. Add cubed potatoes and sauté until nicely browned and almost cooked, about 8–10 minutes. (I normally use this time to peel and chop the carrots, and get ginger, green chili and cilantro all prepped up and ready to go.)

Check potatoes, they should be fork-tender. Take potatoes out of the pan into a bowl and set aside.

Add remaining tablespoon of oil and let it heat up. Once oil is hot and shiny, add asafoetida, cumin seeds and chopped green chili. Stir around until cumin seeds start to dance around. Add all the spice powders (except garam masala and salt) and mix. Add ginger.

Add chopped carrots and thawed peas and saute for a minute or two. Add potatoes, season with salt to taste and give a big mix.

Turn heat to medium low and continue cooking for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, try a piece of carrot for crunchiness and decide if you want to cook it any further. For me, the sabzi is ready right about at this point.

Add garam masala, mix and call it a day. Do not forget to add the chopped cilantro leaves and a squeeze of lime if you want.